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The War Within’s Hero Talent feature introduces a fresh layer of depth and thematic gameplay toWorld of Warcraft, expanding the class fantasy and mechanics for each class. Hero Talents are unique, self-contained talent trees that act as an extension of the existing talent system, positioned between the class and specialization trees. Players can start unlocking Hero Talents at level 71, gaining a point at each level, with the ability to fully unlock all nodes by level 80.
For Death Knights, three distinct Hero Talent trees are available:Deathbringer,Rider of the Apocalypse, andSan’layn. Each specialization within the Death Knight class has access to two of these three Hero Talent trees, providing tailored enhancements to their gameplay experience. Here’s an overview of the three Death Knight Hero Talents inWorld of Warcraft: The War Within.
Death Knight Hero Talent: Deathbringer
The Deathbringer talent tree is available for Blood and Frost specializations. This tree embodies the power of the Shadowlands, transformingDeath Knightsinto emissaries of death that strike at enemies' souls with Shadowfrost damage. Deathbringer features a bursty playstyle centered around the application and detonation of theReaper’s Markability. Reaper’s Mark deals Shadowfrost damage and applies a mark to the target, lasting for 12 seconds. Each time the player deals Shadow or Frost damage to the target, the mark gains a stack, detonating after it expires or upon reaching 40 stacks.
The tree further augments this ability and gives players the tools to quickly accumulate stacks of Reaper’s Mark, ensuring it can be detonated at max stacks for optimal damage output. The capstone ability, Exterminate, also provides a chance to apply a new Reaper’s Mark after the previous has been detonated, creating the potential for consecutive detonation cycles.
Deathbringer’s short burst cycle not only provides solid AoE damage but also amazing single-target potential. The tree also includes valuable defensive options likeRune Carved PlatesandDeath’s Messenger, furthering increasing Death Knight’s survivability.
Keystone Node
Reaper’s Mark [2 Runes/45 Sec Cooldown]
Viciously slice into the soul of your enemy, dealing [Blood: (150% of Attack power) /Frost(320% of Attack power)] Shadowfrost damage and applying Reaper’s Mark. Each time you deal Shadow or Frost damage, add a stack of Reaper’s Mark. After 12 sec or reaching 40 stacks, the mark explodes, dealing [Blood: (10.92% of Attack power) /Frost: (24.57% of Attack power)] damage per stack. Reaper’s Mark travels to an unmarked enemy nearby if the target dies, or explodes below 35% health when there are no enemies to travel to. This explosion cannot occur again on a target for 3 min.
First Row
Wave of Souls
Reaper’s Mark sends forth bursts of Shadowfrost energy and back, dealing (69% of Attack power) Shadowfrost damage both ways to all enemies caught in its path. Wave of Souls critical strikes cause enemies to take 5% increased Shadowfrost damage for 15 sec, stacking up to 2 times, and it is always a critical strike on its way back.
Blood Fever
Your [Blood Plague/Frost Fever] has a chance to deal 30% increased damage as Shadowfrost.
Blind in Darkness
Shadowfrost damage applies 2 stacks to Reaper’s Mark and 4 stacks when it is a critical strike. Additionally, [Blood Boil/Rime empowered Howling Blast] deals Shadowfrost damage.
Second Row
Soul Rupture
When Reaper’s Mark explodes, it deals 10% of the damage dealt damage to nearby enemies. Enemies hit by this effect deal 5% reduced physical damage to you for 10 sec.
Grim Reaper
Reaper’s Mark explosion deals up to 30% increased damage based on your target’s missing health, and applies Soul Reaper to targets below 35% health.
[Choice Node] Rune Carved Plates
[Choice Node] Pact of the Deathbringer
Each Rune spent reduces the magic damage you take by 2% and each Rune generated reduces the physical damage you take by 2% for 5 sec, up to 5 times.
When you suffer a damaging effect equal to 25% of your maximum health, you instantly cast Death Pact at 50% effectiveness. May only occur every 2 min. When a Reaper’s Mark explodes, the cooldowns of this effect and Death Pact are reduced by 5 sec.
[Choice Node] Swift End
[Choice Node] Painful Death
Reaper’s Mark’s cost is reduced by 1 Rune and its cooldown is reduced by 15 sec.
Reaper’s Mark deals 10% increased damage and Exterminate empowers an additional [Marrowrend/Obliterate], but now reduces its cost by 1 Rune. Additionally, Exterminate now has a 30% chance to apply Reaper’s Mark.
[Choice Node] Dark Talons
[Choice Node] Wither Away
[Marrowrend and Heart Strike/Consuming Killing Machine or Rime] have a 25% chance to increase the maximum stacks of an active Icy Talons by 1, up to 2 times. While Icy Talons is active, your Runic Power spending abilities also count as Shadowfrost damage.
[Blood Plague/Frost Fever] deals its damage in half the duration and the second scythe of Exterminate applies Blood Plague.
[Choice Node] Death’s Messenger
[Choice Node] Expelling Shield
Reduces the cooldowns of Lichborne and Raise Dead by 30 sec.
When an enemy deals direct damage to your Anti-Magic Shell, their cast speed is reduced by 10% for 6 sec.
CapstoneNode
Exterminate
After Reaper’s Mark explodes, your next [Marrorend/Obliterate] costs no Rune and summon 2 scythes to strike your enemies. The first scythe strikes your target for (275.4% of Attack power) Shadowfrost damage and has a 20% chance to apply Reaper’s Mark, the second scythe strikes all enemies around your target for (146.88% of Attack power) Shadowfrost damage and applies Blood Plague[and applies Frost Fever]. Deals reduced damage beyond 8 targets.
Death Knight Hero Talent: Rider of the Apocalypse
Themed after the elite Death Knights created by Kel’thuzad, Rider of the Apocalypse allows Frost and Unholy to become champions of the Four Horsemen. This Hero Talent tree enables players the chance to call forth Mograine, Whitemane, Trollbane, and Nazgrim whenever they spend Runes. Each rider brings a unique ability to the field when they are summoned, spreading conquest, war, famine, and death to all enemies.
Rider of the Apocalypse gameplay is relatively passive compared to the other two Hero Talent trees but offers exciting mounted combat throughOn a Paler HorseandDeath Charge. Death Charge is an incredibly powerful ability, significantly boosting movement speed while providing immunity to movement impairment effects and knockbacks for 10 seconds, effectively acting as a stronger personalBlessing of Freedomfrom Paladins. Additionally, the Rider tree includes one of the best defensive talents withPact of the Apocalypse, which grants damage reduction for each Horseman present on the field, making Death Knights even tankier than they already are.
Rider of the Apocalypse
Rider’s Champion
Spending Runes has a chance to call forth the aid of a Horsemen for 10 sec.[Mograine]: Casts Death and Decay at his location that follows his position.[Whitemane]: Casts Undeath on your target dealing (11.4422% of Attack power) Shadowfrost damage per stack every 3 sec, for 24 sec. Each time Undeath deals damage it gains a stack. Cannot be Refreshed.[Trollbane]: Casts Chains of Ice on your target slowing their movement speed by 40% and increasing the damage they take from you by 5% for 8 sec.[Nazgrim]: While Nazgrim is active you gain Apocalyptic Conquest, increasing your Strength by 3%.
[Choice Node] On a Paler Horse
[Choice Node] Death Charge
While outdoors you are able to mount your Acherus Deathcharger in combat.
Call upon your Death Charger to break free of movement impairment effects. For 10 sec, while upon your Death Charger your movement speed is increased by 100%, you cannot be slowed below 100% of normal speed, and you are immune to forced movement effects and knockbacks.
Mograine’s Might
Your damage is increased by 5% and you gain the benefits of your Death and Decay while inside Mograine’s Death and Decay.
[Choice Node] Horsemen’s Aid
[Choice Node] Pact of the Apocalypse
While at your aid, the Horsemen will occasionally cast Anti-Magic Shell on you and themselves at 80% effectiveness. You may only benefit from this effect every 45 sec.
When you take damage, 5% of the damage is redirected to each active horsemen.
Whitemane’s Famine
When [Scourge Strike/Obliterate] damages an enemy affected by Undeath it gains 1 stack and infects another nearby enemy.
Nazgrim’s Conquest
If an enemy dies while Nazgrim is active, the strength of Apocalyptic Conquest is increased by 3%. Additionally, each Rune you spend increase its value by 1%.
Trollbane’s Icy Fury
[Scourge Strike/Obliterate] shatters Trollbane’s Chains of Ice when hit, dealing (140.4% of Attack power) Shadowfrost damage to nearby enemies, and slowing them by 40% for 4 sec. Deals reduced damage beyond 8 targets.
Third Row
Hungering Thirst
The damage of your diseases and [Death Coil/Frost Strike] are increased by 10%.
[Choice Node] Fury of the Horsemen
[Choice Node] A Feast of Souls
Every 50 Runic Power you spend extends the duration of the Horsemen’s aid in combat by 1 sec, up to 5 sec.
While you have 2 or more Horsemen aiding you, your Runic Power spending abilities deal 20% increased damage.
Mawsworn Menace
[Scourge Strike/Obliterate] deals [15%/10%] increased damage and the cooldown of your Death and Decay is reduced by 10 sec.
Capstone Node
Apocalypse Now
Army of the Dead and Frostwyrm’s Fury call upon all 4 Horsemen to aid you for 20 sec.
Death Knight Hero Talent: San’layn
Inspired by vampiric darkfallen elves, the San’layn tree grants Blood and Unholy Death Knights a potent buff calledEssence of the Blood Queen. This buff provides a stacking haste increase, which can only be applied and refreshed throughVampiric Strike, an enhanced version of Heart Strike (Blood) and Scourge Strike (Unholy).
Maintaining Essence of the Blood Queen can be quite challenging due to the limited availability of Vampiric Strike, which is only accessible during Vampiric Blood or Dark Transformation, or through random procs from Death Coil, Epidemic, and Death Strike. Losing this buff can significantly impact the performance of both specializations.
A significant portion of San’layn’s damage is also heavily reliant on theBlood Beaststhat Vampiric Strike occasionally summons. These summons are very powerful in large packs of enemies, but their impact can feel inconsistent due to the sometimes awkward timing of their explosions. While San’layn’s overall damage performance may fall short relative to Deathbringer and Rider of the Apocalypse, it still offers some decent minor utility, likeVampiric SpeedandVampiric Aura.
KeystoneNode
Vampiric Strike
Your Death Coil, Epidemic, and Death Strike have a 10% chance to make your next [Heart Strike/Scourge Strike] become Vampiric Strike. Vampiric Strike heals you for [Blood: 1%/ Unholy: 2%] of your maximum health and grants you Essence of the Blood Queen, increasing your Haste by 1.0%, up to 5.0% for 20 sec.
[Choice Node] Newly Turned
[Choice Node] Vampiric Speed
Raise Ally revives players at full health and grants you and your ally an absorb shield equal to 20% of your maximum health.
Death’s Advance and Wraith Walk movement speed bonuses are increased by 10%. Activating Death’s Advance or Wraith Walk increases 4 nearby allies' movement speed by 20% for 5 sec.
Blood-Soaked Ground
While you are within your Death and Decay, your physical damage taken is reduced by 5% and your chance to gain Vampiric Strike is increased by 5%.
[Choice Node] Vampiric Aura
[Choice Node] Bloody Fortitude
Your Leech is increased by 2%. While Lichborne is active, the Leech bonus of this effect is increased by 100%, and it affects 4 allies within 12 yds.
Icebound Fortitude reduces all damage you take by up to an additional 20% based on your missing health. Killing an enemy that yields experience or honor reduces the cooldown of Icebound Fortitude by 3 sec.
Infliction of Sorrow
When Vampiric Strike damages an enemy affected by your [Blood Plague/Virulent Plague], it extends the duration of the disease by 3 sec, and deals 10% of the remaining damage to the enemy. After Gift of the San’layn ends, your next [Heart Strike/Scourge Strike] consumes the disease to deal 100% of their remaining damage to the target.
Frenzied Bloodthirst
Essence of the Blood Queen stacks 2 additional times and increases the damage of your Death Coil and Death Strike by 3% per stack.
The Blood is Life
Vampiric Strike has a chance to summon a Blood Beast to attack your enemy for 10 sec. Each time the Blood Beast attacks, it stores a portion of the damage dealt. When the Blood Beast dies, it explodes, dealing [Blood: 50%/Unholy: 25%] of the damage accumulated to nearby enemies and healing the Death Knight for the same amount.
Visceral Strength
When [Crimson Scourge/Sudden Doom] is consumed, you gain 6% Strength for 8 sec.
Incite Terror
Vampiric Strike and [Heart Strike/Scourge Strike] cause your targets to take 1% increased Shadow damage, up to 5% for 15 sec. Vampiric Strike benefits from Incite Terror at 400% effectiveness.
[Choice Node] Pact of the San’layn
[Choice Node] Sanguine Scent
You store 50% of all Shadow damage dealt into your Blood Beast to explode for additional damage when it expires.
Your Death Coil, Epidemic, and Death Strike have a 15% increased chance to trigger Vampiric Strike when damaging enemies below 35% health.
Gift of the San’layn
While Vampiric Blood or Dark Transformation is active you gain Gift of the San’layn. Gift of the San’layn increases the effectiveness of your Essence of the Blood Queen by [Blood: 150%/Unholy: 100%], and Vampiric Strike replaces your [Heart Strike/Scourge Strike] for the duration.
